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Toxicity of different industrial effluents in Taiwan: A comparison of the sensitivity of Daphnia similis and Microtox®
Author(s) -
Liu M. C.,
Chen C.M.,
Cheng H. Y.,
Chen H. Y.,
Su Y. C.,
Hung T. Y.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
environmental toxicology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.813
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1522-7278
pISSN - 1520-4081
DOI - 10.1002/tox.10036
Subject(s) - effluent , daphnia magna , toxicity , acute toxicity , aquatic toxicology , environmental chemistry , cladocera , wastewater , biology , ecotoxicology , toxicology , pulp and paper industry , environmental science , chemistry , environmental engineering , ecology , crustacean , organic chemistry , engineering
Industrial effluents are known to exhibit toxicity toward different aquatic organisms. In Taiwan management of these discharges still relies on chemical and physical characteristics of water, although various standard methods for assessing aquatic toxicity have been proposed by the Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration. In this study we examined the toxicity and compared the sensitivity of different types of industrial effluents using two proposed toxicity tests: the Daphnia similis acute toxicity test and the Microtox® acute assay ( Vibrio fischeri ). Results showed that electroplating effluents were the most toxic of all the effluents tested, followed by acrylonitrile manufacturing, pulp/paper, and tannery effluents. The EC 50 of an electroplating effluent for D. similis and V. fischeri (15 min) was as low as, respectively, 2.9% and 3.9% of the whole effluent. The other effluents were not acutely toxic to either organism tested. However, the tests exhibited different sensitivity toward various discharges. Only the electroplating and acrylonitrile manufacturing effluents had effects on both organisms. These results indicate the importance of the incorporation of aquatic toxicity tests into the management scheme for treated wastewaters. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 17: 93–97, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/tox.10036